The food labeling reform that he initiated Minister of Health Jacob Litzman, was launched last Tuesday at a press conference held at the office Health in Tel Aviv, and yesterday 1/1/20 came into force, and this with the aim of helping the citizens of Israel Maintain a proper diet and prevent obesity, diabetes and disease.
The reform was launched after a long and well-informed process that began about two years ago and was accepted as part of the regulatory committee, in which food and beverage products containing large amounts of sodium, sugar or saturated fat must be marked with a red sticker, while healthy products will be marked with a green sticker. Something that will make information about the nutritional value of packaged food accessible and help consumers choose foods that fit the principles of proper nutrition, as recommended in Israel.
The Minister of Health, MK Yaakov Litzman said: This is an important reform that we led for the benefit of the health of the citizens of Israel, with the understanding that the consumer public has a basic right to receive information about the health values presented to us in the products we purchase. I am proud of this great move in which the Ministry of Health manages to have a tremendous impact on the nutrition of the country's citizens, which will directly affect the quality of life and health of all of us.
The purpose of food labeling is to help Israeli citizens maintain proper nutrition and prevent obesity, diabetes and disease. From today, it is in our hands and thus we will increase public awareness of the need to change dietary habits, especially for children.
I congratulate the Food Regulation Committee headed by the Director General of the Ministry of Health Moshe Bar Siman Tov, who led the dramatic process in its various stages until we reached the end of the long-awaited process. I thank the industrialists and all the economic factors who are partners with us in the national process that we announced for the prevention of disease, increasing health awareness, and changing the dietary habits of the public.
Director General of the Ministry of Health, Moshe Bar Siman Tov: This is a holiday for public health and we congratulate all the partners we had along the way, the members of the Asdera Committee, the members of the Health Committee in the Knesset at the time and who headed it at the time Allof, and of course the Minister of Health Yaakov Litzman without his initiative and entry into the world of 'junk food' nothing would happen It is important to remember that the red stickers are the beginning of a process and a path that we started about three years ago, and it is not going to end now, there will be many more pioneering steps that we are going to take together with the public, because it is ultimately our most important customer.
And what do the nutrition experts in general and Maccabi in the Haifa district say?
Nega Pressman, a dietitian in the heart of the general region: "There is definitely an effect on the learning of the marking."
Do you think the product labeling reform will really help the public to consume healthier food?
There is definitely a possibility that the reform will help in choosing healthier products, especially when we are talking about categories. For example: breakfast cereal there will be an option to choose which is better and which is less preferable. In terms of "health snacks" this is candy for everything. Undoubtedly, this is a blessing.
Can the reform help in the fight against the epidemic of obesity and diabetes, especially among children?
I think this is really the beginning of the road. The next step is to lower the prices of the healthier food (food that will receive the green label). I come across patients on a weekly basis who cannot afford to buy wholemeal bread and lots of fruits and vegetables because of the price. It is also necessary to encourage daily activities in schools and fight against screens. Like I said, this is just the beginning.
How will the reform affect the public in the long term?
In terms of the long term, there is definitely an effect on the education of the marking, because it is an effect on the food manufacturers who, as a reaction even before the reform, began to lower the fat percentages, lower the sugar and sodium. For example, the Thelma pillow product company - came out with a new pillow product that contains 40% and definitely has an impact both in the short term and in the long term.
Hadas Hardon, clinical dietician, Maccabi Health Services in Haifa: "In the short term the consequences will be extremely disciplinary."
What do you think about the product labeling reform and do you think it will help the public to consume healthier food?
I think the nutritional labeling reform is excellent. We want consumers not to have to think too much and look at the product to know if it is good or not. If they see a red marking, they will not take it and look for another product that is unmarked or with a green marking.
Can the reform help in the fight against the epidemic of obesity and diabetes, especially among children?
I think that the reform will indeed fight the obesity epidemic because when they issued the reform they thought a lot about it, established a regulatory committee and brought in the best experts and saw that if we reduce the amount of sugar, fat and salt in our products by a few percentages of two or three percent, we will save thousands of deaths a year, and we will save billions for the country, and with certainty that this will help. It will not solve the entire obesity problem but it is one layer in the obesity problem.
How will the reform affect the public in the long term?
In the short term the consequences will be extremely disciplinary. The people will make a change and we will surely see a reduction in processed and less healthy products. In the long run what will remain is probably not the strong effect that will be at the beginning but really a smaller effect. From tests done at the Ministry of Health, the small effect that will remain afterwards is better than marking.